Portable electronic device protector with pop-up support

ABSTRACT

A protector for portable electronic devices is disclosed comprising an embossed, generally X-shaped frame, and including a portfolio-style protective cover having a “pop-up” kickstand propping element built into it.

This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 14/078,828 filed Nov. 13,2013, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 13/012,720 filed Jan.24, 2011, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 12/860,808, whichissued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,281,924, the priority of all of which isclaimed pursuant to 35 USC 120.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The development of devices incorporating electronic devices has beenexplosive over the past decade, resulting in many new genres ofbattery-powered products such as so-called “smart phones,” electronicreaders, and, more recently, the Apple iPad®. All such devices arerelatively lightweight and portable, owing to the miniaturization ofelectronic components and circuitry. One shortcoming of such small scaleis that the circuitry is relatively fragile and so subject to damage by,for example, impact with a hard surface caused by dropping and/orexposure to moisture. There is therefore a need in the art forprotection of such devices from such damage. This need is met by thepresent invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided an improvedprotector for portable electronic devices that has a number of uniqueand useful features that protect such devices from damage and providesupport for operating such devices from a desktop or similar flatsurface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an exemplary cover of the inventionopened to receive an electronic device P such as an Apple iPad®.

FIG. 2 is a sectional taken through the plane 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the outside of the cover shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1 with theelectronic device P inserted into the cover and the top of the coverpartially open.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1 closed andsecured over the electronic device.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1 with theelectronic device P inserted into the cover and the top of the coverfolded back and secured to the bottom of the cover.

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 6illustrating the utility of a hand strap secured to the inside of thetop of the cover.

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1 with theelectronic device P inserted into the cover and the top folded back onitself to tuck into a flap on the outside of the bottom of the cover, soas to create a stand for the electronic device P.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of another embodiment of the inventionshown attached to the back side of electronic device P (shown inphantom).

FIGS. 11-13 are partial perspective views of the back side of thefour-legged frame of the invention showing its improved structure.

FIGS. 14-15 are perspective views of lugs 24 providing access to aportable electronic device having, e.g., a port for a jack or an on/offswitch.

FIGS. 16, 17 and 19 are various perspective views illustrating anadditional built-in “pop-up” kickstand feature whereby an electronicdevice P incorporated into the protective cover of the invention may bepropped up and supported at various angles relative to a tabletop or thelike for ease in viewing the device's screen. FIG. 18 is a side view ofFIG. 17 taken through the plane 18-18.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, wherein the same numerals generally refer tothe same elements, there is shown a cover 1 designed to accept anelectronic device P, the cover comprising a foldable portfolio 10 havinga top 10 a, a bottom 10 b, and a spine 10 c. The top 10 a and bottom 10b preferably comprise a three-ply lamination of a soft layer 11 such asfelt on the inside of the portfolio that is in contact with theelectronic device P, a durable outside layer 12 such as leather, and astiff middle layer 13 to provide structural support to the top andbottom of the cover. Spine 10 c preferably comprises only two plies 11and 12 so as to maintain flexibility on opening and closing. Portfolio10 is preferably provided with longitudinal creases 14, 15 and 16 tofurther facilitate flexing, with crease 16 being created by adiscontinuity in middle layer 13.

A prominent feature of cover 1 is a four-legged frame that may be in avariety of configurations such as in an O-shape 20 as seen in FIG. 1, anX-shape 30 as seen in FIG. 9, or a webbed X-shape 40 as seen in FIG. 10.With respect to the frames 20, 30 and 40 it should be understood thatthe same may be used free standing alone independently of any cover orportfolio, or may be incorporated into a cover or portfolio by securingthe same to, for example, a bottom 10 b, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9.

Frame 20, 30 or 40 is provided with four legs 22 integral with the frameextending radially outwardly and oriented in an X-shaped configurationrelative to each other. Legs 22 terminate in four resilient lugs 24 withtwo pairs of lugs diametrically opposed to each other, the lugs being inan arcuate shape so as to capture the four corners of electronic deviceP. A preferred material for lugs 24 is silicone rubber. When frame 20,30 or 40 is secured to a cover such as shown in FIG. 1, lugs 24 holddevice P securely in place against bottom 10 b. Lugs 24 also serve toabsorb shock in the event the electronic device P is struck or droppedonto a hard surface, whether frame 20, 30 or 40 is incorporated into aportfolio or not.

Top 10 a is preferably provided at its corners with reversible elasticstraps 40 that may be secured to bottom 10 b at corresponding corners tosecure cover 1 in a closed or open position, best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6,respectively. Preferably such reversible straps 40 are attached tobottom 10 b by sewing their ends between layers 11 and 12. Top 10 a isfurther provided with an elastic handle strap 30 on its inside surface11, which may be deployed by the user to maintain a secure grip on thecover and device P so as to decrease the likelihood of dropping thesame.

Bottom 10 b is preferably provided with a flap 50 designed to capturethe outside edge of top 10 a when the same is folded back on itselfalong crease 16 at an angle θ of about 90° so as to create an easel orstand for the entire arrangement, best seen in FIG. 8.

Frame 20, 30 or 40 may also be secured to a resilient backing (notshown), such as silicone rubber, by, e.g., gluing or lamination, whichcombination may in turn be secured to a cover or portfolio.

The preferred manufacturing technique of frame 20, 30 or 40 is injectionmolding of thermoplastic polymers, with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)most preferred. Such a technique has been discovered to have inherentdrawbacks caused by uneven flow of the molten polymer, chief among whichare flow line marks, corner deformations, discontinuities and warping,causing an average rejection or failure rate of about 20%. The inventorshave discovered an improvement in the manufacturing process that resultsin a substantial improvement in the failure rate, on the order of 75%,which at the same time imparts a substantial improvement in tensilestrength to the frame 20, 30 or 40, which in turn provides greaterprotection for the portable electronic device when the frame is appliedto the device.

The improvement lies in the discovery that superimposition of anembossed grid pattern on one or both sides of frame 20, 30 or 40 bothreduces failure rate and imparts much greater tensile strength to theframe, which leads to greater protection of the portable electronicdevice.

The embossed grid pattern may be multiples of virtually any regulargeometric shape, such as a polygon, triangle, circle or rectangle asillustrated in FIGS. 11-13, and is preferably imparted to the frame byinjection molding. Specifically, an injection mold is cast of hightemperature material such as steel having multiples of the selectedgeometric shape in relief, resulting in a raised design from about 0.3to about 0.6, preferably about 0.5 mm. The grid pattern may be cut intothe mold by conventional tooling, by laser or by etching, preferably byetching. The thermoplastic polymer for the frame is then simply heatedto its melting point and injected into the injection mold byconventional injection molding techniques, cooled to its set point, andremoved from the mold.

A lot of 30 frames 20 were made according to the above procedure withTPU and having a honeycomb-like grid embossed on their back sidescomprising multiple hexagons, each approximately 0.5 mm high and 5 mmwide. The failure rate was reduced to 5%, an improvement ofapproximately 75% from the failure rate norm of about 20%. Severalframes from this lot were selected at random, sewn onto portfolios 10fitted to Apple iPads®, and subjected to the standard Transit Drop Test(MIL-STD-810G, Method 516.6, Procedure VI). The parameters and protocolfor this test were as follows: the drop surface was concrete with a ½″steel plate over the concrete and 2″ thick plywood over the steel plate;three series of 10 drops each were conducted from heights of 4, 5 and 6feet; each series of 10 drops was onto the four corners, four edges andboth faces of the combined folio/iPad®; following each of the 30 drops,the device was inspected and its function checked by booting up aWindows® software program. The results after all drops were that thedevice retained its function and the device's screen did not break orcrack, but the device's corners had scratches in the paint and minordents after the 6 foot drops.

Referring to FIGS. 11-15, an additional improvement in the design offrame 20, 30 or 40 is one or more access ports in lugs 24, comprisingeither an aperture 60 or 61 in lug 24, or a discontinuity to form asplit or claw-like lug 62, that permits access to a portable electronicdevice having, for example, port(s) for jack(s) and/or an on/off switch.It is to be understood that this includes the frame being provided withat least any of one or two apertures 60 or 61; one or two claw-like lugs62; or one aperture 60 or 61 and one claw-like lug 62.

Referring to FIGS. 16-19, there is shown another embodiment of theinvention illustrating a “pop-up” kickstand support. FIG. 16 is a topperspective view of portfolio 10 having a support 90 inset into well 91and connected to top 10 a by hinge 90 a. Support 90 is manually liftableupwardly and away from well 91 and top 10 a in the direction shown bythe curved arrow in FIG. 17 with the aid of cutout 90 b, into which afinger or thumb may be inserted. Well 91 is provided with aspring-loaded brace 92 that is hingedly attached to well 91 at 92 a andthat pops up into supporting engagement of support 90 by virtue of an,e.g., elastic band 93 exerting force in the direction of the arrow shownparallel to band 93 when support 90 is lifted upwardly and away fromwell 91. Strap 94, shown folded in FIG. 16 and fully extended in FIG.17, is secured on one end to well 91 and on the other end to support 90,and serves to limit the maximum travel of support 90 when support 90 isopened in the direction of the curved arrow in FIG. 17.

Once support 90 is fully open, as shown in FIGS. 18-19, top 10 a isopened greater than 90° in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 19so that bottom 10 b and the leading edge of support 90 are both incontact with a planar surface such as a desk top or table, so as tosupport device P and permit easy viewing of its screen.

To return support 90 and elements 92, 93 and 94 to stowed positions inwell 91, brace 92 is pulled laterally away from support 90 whilesimultaneously folding support 90 down in a direction opposite to thecurved arrow in FIG. 17 until it is approximately flush with top 10 a.

Thus, the protector of the invention may be secured to any of a widevariety of portable, generally rectangular electronic devices,including, without limitation, “smart phones,” e-readers, e-planners,e-calendars, and e-tablets such as the Apple iPad® to protect the devicewhile maintaining easy access to the device by the user.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in this specificationare used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, andthere is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions toexclude equivalents of the features shown and described or portionsthereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is definedand limited only by the claims which follow.

1. A protector for generally rectangular electronic devices comprising:(a) a four-legged frame; (b) the four legs of said frame oriented in anX-shaped configuration relative to each other; and (c) resilientcorner-engaging arcuate lugs integral with each of said four legswherein said frame has embossed thereon a pattern comprising multiplesof at least one regular geometric shape wherein said protector isincorporated into a foldable portfolio that is provided with a prop forsupporting said portfolio in an open position, said prop itself beingsupportable with a spring-loaded secondary prop.
 2. The protector ofclaim 1 wherein said frame is X-shaped with said legs intersecting eachother.
 3. The protector of claim 2 wherein said frame is webbed wheresaid legs intersect with each other.
 4. The protector of claim 1 whereinsaid frame is O-shaped with said legs oriented radially outwardlytherefrom.
 5. The protector of claim 4 wherein said O-shaped frame isgenerally rectangular.
 6. The protector of any of claims 2-5 whereinsaid frame is made of thermoplastic polymer.
 7. The protector of claim 6wherein said polymer is thermoplastic polyurethane.
 8. A protector foran electronic device comprising: a. a top; b. a bottom; c. a flexiblespine joining said top to said bottom; d. a retainer associated withsaid top to retain said device to said top; e. a first prop attached tosaid top, deployable into an extended position to support at least aportion of said top above a supporting surface; f. a substantially stiffsecond prop deployable into an extended position extending between saidfirst prop and said to hold said first prop in said extended position;g. wherein said top and said first prop are each defined by margins,said top and first prop each having a central area within said margins,a flexible member extending between said central area of said top andsaid central area of said first prop.
 9. The protector of claim 8wherein said flexible member prevents deployment of said first propbeyond said extended position.
 10. The protector of claim 8 whereindeploying said first prop to the extent of said flexible memberpositions said second prop in said extended position.
 11. The protectorof claim 8 wherein said flexible member is a strap.
 12. The protector ofclaim 8 including an elastic member extending between said top and saidsecond prop.
 13. The protector of claim 12 wherein said elastic memberurges said second prop toward said extended position when said firstprop is deployed toward said extended position.
 14. The protector ofclaim 12 wherein said elastic member urges said second prop toward saidflexible member when said second prop is in said extended position. 15.A foldable protector for an electronic device comprising: a. asubstantially planar top foldably connected to a bottom; b. a first propattached to said to said first prop movable about a hinge from aposition substantially co-planar with said top to an extended positionout of said plane of said top; c. a second prop deployable between afirst position substantially co-planar with said top to an extendedposition extending outwardly from said top; d. said second prop when insaid extended position extends between said top and said first prop,holding at least a portion of said first prop away from said top; e. anelastic member extending between said top and said second prop.
 16. Theprotector of claim 15, wherein said elastic member urges said secondprop toward said extended position when said first prop is moved towardsaid extended position.
 17. The protector of claim 15 wherein saidsecond prop in said extended position is substantially perpendicular tosaid plane of said top.
 18. The protector of claim 15 further includinga flexible member extending between said top and said first prop. 19.The protector of claim 18 wherein said flexible member limits movementof said first prop away from said plane of said top.
 20. The protectorof claim 18 wherein said elastic member urges said second prop towardsaid flexible member when said second prop is in said extended position.